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The Pomona to Claremont A Line Extension is underway with final design and pre-construction. The project’s design team, Parsons, is currently working to advance the project design towards its next milestone of 60%, following last month’s completed review of the baseline 30% design submittal. The 60% design submittal is anticipated to be ready for review in early January 2027. From there, the design will progress to 85% and 100% before reaching “Approved for Construction” drawings.
   Photos: Survey crews collecting data for the project design at Claremont Metrolink Station (top) and at Indian Hill Blvd. (bottom)
To support the design effort, Parsons continues to deploy surveying crews throughout the 2.3-mile corridor to collect data on existing utilities, drainage, track slope elevations and other existing conditions – information that will help refine the design as it advances. This month, as seen in the photos above, surveyors were out in the mid-blocks and at the grade crossings to collect data. They were also out at the Metrolink Station in Claremont.
As Parsons continues their work, the project’s contractor, SSH Joint Venture (“SSH JV”), is supporting the project by providing constructability reviews and other reviews of the design, working with the Construction Authority to find ways to reduce costs on the future construction effort, developing an overall construction schedule and methodology for estimating the construction costs, preparing programmatic plans, conducting field reviews and developing early work package recommendations. All of this is part of the pre-construction phase of their work that will be ongoing through all of 2026 and much of 2027.
As a reminder, SSH JV is under contract for the initial pre-construction work phase and will have the opportunity to negotiate a construction contract with a guaranteed maximum price once the design reaches 85%. That process will conclude in Fall 2027, with major construction of the Pomona to Claremont A Line Extension expected to begin in late 2027 and take approximately four years.
 Photo: Charter/Spectrum crews repaving Towne Ave. following undergrounding of communication lines
Earlier this year, the Construction Authority began coordinating with third-party utilities to ensure any work on their facilities within the rail corridor that needs to be completed would be done ahead of major construction beginning on the Pomona to Claremont extension.
While there are several utility companies planning to conduct such work, Charter/Spectrum was the first to get underway. As reported earlier this year, Charter/Spectrum completed work to underground their communications lines at the Towne Ave. grade crossing in Pomona this past April. This month, Charter/Spectrum crews returned to complete the road paving needed to restore the street following that work and have since activated the new underground lines. Crews will return to the crossing in the near future to remove the old overhead communications lines that are no longer being used.
The communities of Pomona and Claremont can expect more third-party utility work to be carried out at the grade crossings in 2026 and 2027. While the Construction Authority coordinates the schedule of these activities, the third-party utilities are fully responsible for all elements of conducting the work.
 Past Photo: Crews conducting geotechnical borings in Glendora as part of Glendora to Pomona project segment
As shared last month, crews will soon begin geotechnical investigations along the project corridor and at the sites of the three future light rail bridges being built as part of the project at the Garey Ave. and Towne Ave. grade crossings in Pomona, and at the Indian Hill Blvd. grade crossing in Claremont. Using specialized boring machines, similar to the one seen in the photo above, crews will drill below the surface to evaluate soil conditions at each location. The data collected will be used to inform the project design. To safely carry out this work, temporary lane closures will likely be necessary.
As a reminder, the freight and Metrolink trains will continue traveling at grade (at street level) through all grade crossings along the 2.3-mile project corridor, while the future Metro A Line trains will travel over the three streets mentioned above on the future light rail bridges.
  Images: (top) Santa Anita Ave. A Line Bridge in Arcadia (the City of Pomona chose the Arcadia bridge as the model for the future light rail bridges over Garey and Towne Aves.); (bottom) Indian Hill Blvd. bridge design developed by the City of Claremont. Both designs are being integrated into the Pomona to Claremont A Line Extension design by Parsons
Thank you for your interest in the Foothill Gold Line.
Lisa Levy Buch, Chief Communications and Strategic Development Officer and the Public Affairs Team
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